(WFAN) Out of coach Tom Thibodeau's rotation, Knicks guard Derrick Rose hadn’t taken the court for his team in two weeks until Friday, when he got a chance for a special moment in his hometown.
With New York holding a big lead late in an eventual 114-91 win in Chicago, Thibodeau gave Rose his moment, inserting him into the game with 3:31 remaining in the arena in which Rose blossomed into a homegrown superstar more than a decade prior.
Chants of “MVP” rang out at the United Center as Rose shed his warmup attire and took the floor, with the crowd acknowledging the former Bulls star who won the award in 2011, when he and Thibodeau were guiding Chicago to its most successful season since Michael Jordan retired.
“Just being in that moment, my kids were here, my fiancée was here … just being appreciative of the time I do get,” Rose said. “I’m very fortunate to be on a winning team and to still be playing and to be healthy enough to still play this game.”
It has been a trying season for the the 34-year-old Rose, a former No. 1 overall pick who turned back the clock for a moment Friday, burying a 3-pointer and sending the crowd into a frenzy, like it was 2011 all over again.
“Feeling the love and the vibrations like that was surreal,” Rose said.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1.
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